There is something about summer in Rutherglen that makes you want to find water. The days stretch out beneath a wide country sky, the vineyard rows shimmer in the heat and the trees become the most coveted places on the property. And then there is the Murray.
Running quietly alongside All Saints Estate and St Leonards Vineyard, the river has shaped this landscape for generations - carving its way through the country, nourishing the vineyards and offering a cool, green counterpoint to the summer heat.
In the warmer months, it becomes an invitation - to walk, to paddle, to picnic. To sit beneath a gum tree and do very little at all.
So this summer, leave the cellar door for a little while and follow the river.
Start on the water
Following the river in Rutherglen is less about getting somewhere than seeing the region from a different perspective. From the water, the landscape feels calmer and greener. River red gums tower over the banks, and the vineyard country sits just beyond the trees, a reminder that this fertile stretch of the Murray has long influenced the way people live, work and gather here.
Bring a kayak or paddleboard and spend a few hours exploring the river at your own pace, or simply find a shady stretch of bank and settle in.
Waterside entrance
The river is particularly central to the experience at St Leonards Vineyard, where Murray River access by boat makes arriving part of the occasion. Coming in from the water offers a sense of the landscape that you simply don't get from the road - the vineyard emerging beyond the trees, the lagoon providing a natural pause between one place and the next.
On the first weekend of every month, Music on the Murray brings another reason to linger, with live music, wine and the river setting the pace. Simply find a patch of shade, listen to the music and watch the afternoon drift by.
Peddle and dine
The Rutherglen River Bike Loop follows the river and surrounding countryside, offering a slower way to explore the landscape beyond the banks. There is a pleasing rhythm to it - ride beneath the gums, wind through the countryside, stop when something catches your eye, and let the afternoon unfold without too much of a plan.
Peddle to All Saints Estate and settle in at Bonnie (Wednesday to Sunday) or KIN (Thursday to Sunday), and make a meal part of the afternoon, rather than something to rush through.
Where the river leads
Perhaps the real pleasure of discovering Rutherglen from the Murray outward is that the river doesn't sit apart from the wine country; it draws you through it. A paddle becomes a picnic, a bike ride becomes a cellar-door stop, and a glass of wine becomes an excuse to rest beneath the gum trees.
In summer, you don't necessarily need to see everything. Just follow the river - and see where it leads.
For more information on the Rutherglen Loops, visit explorerutherglen.com.au.
